If you find yourself bikepacking through beautiful Ixtpeji, I’d highly recommend putting aside an extra day, or at least a morning, to take in some of the trails there.

One of our favourite weekend loops into the area is Hebras de Ixtepeji, as featured on Bikepacking.com. But you can connect it with Benito Juarez and other parts of the Sierra de Juárez; there’s a number of route ideas linked at the bottom of this post, of which “Doble Mirador” is a fun example, or even “La Reina and Llano Carreta” if you want to work in one of the bigger runs to an enduro-flavoured local overnighter.

However you choose to get Ixtepeji – whether by pedal power or by shutting up to begin your trip – there’s a Centro Ecoturístico where you can base yourself, with a restaurant, as well as a number of cabañas and camping options.

Cabañas and Camping

The cabañas in Ixtepeji are spacious (sleeping up to 6, I think), cost around 600 pesos and upwards (depending on how many people you are), and include firewood and a bathroom with a hot shower. Booking is recommended via the link above, especially at the weekend.

Camping costs 100 pesos per person, and includes access to bathrooms and a shower, plus you can buy a bundle of firewood if you want. Just ask for some leña, which is supplied with a few shards of ocote – fat wood to help get it going. As ever in Mexico, an eye mask and ear plugs can come in handy, as you never if you’ll be sharing your time there with a local festival or community gathering!

Note that your camping fee allows you to camp anywhere in the community forest (no fires allowed). But whilst basing yourself out of the centro ecoturistico isn’t as scenic as having a patch of forest to yourself, it’s very convenient, given the restaurant, water tap, and access to bathrooms. We’ve never had an issues leaving our gear stashed in our tent whilst we ride trails or hike during the day.

Cell reception and Wifi

You’ll find cell reception on the main road at the entrance to Ixtpeji, and perhaps a bar or two on the top of the Mirador Pelado Chiquito. The ecocentre also cells wifi fichas – for an hour, 2 hours, or your complete stay.

Riding or collectivo-ing up

Similar to the bikepacking loops that pass through Ixtpeji – linked above – our favourite way of riding up to Ixtepeji from Oaxaca is via La Mesita. Aside from a few steep pitches, it’s a gentle grade, and mostly in shade. Leave early and you can definitely be up there by the afternoon. Otherwise, the newly concreted Camino de Benito Juarez is a very direct way up. It begins in Huayapam and takes you right up to the entrance, completely traffic free. In terms of hitching or getting a collectivo, Monumento Benito Juárez is a good spot to position yourself.

Trails

There’s a number of mtb trails with the forest. These trails are popular with local enduro mountain bikers and overseas visitors alike, especially at weekends and during the high season. The upper trails are typically ‘blue’ graded by Trailforks, whilst those that drop back down to the valley floor are considerably more challenging, and more suited to full suspension. Strava has all the segments too!

The trails below are personal favourites and mostly of the ‘blue’ graded flavour (according to Trailforks at least) and are more hardtail-friendly than the more committing and roughter ‘black’ graded runs like El Toro, Peña Piedra Prieta, or Llano Carreta. As such, I find them perfect for a modern, slack hardtail a dropper post, rather than requiring the big enduro bike that are favoured by most riders who shuttle in Oaxaca. Still, they’re challenging trails nonetheless, so don’t underestimate them!

Fees

The official fee for riding trails in Ixtepeji is currently 200 pesos per person. This assumes you’re shuttling and packing in the runs – typically 8-10 in a day – rather than picking and choosing a few via pedal power alone. For example, if you’re just bikepacking through the area and paying to camp there, I don’t think there’s any issues riding a couple of trails as you go.

Remember that if you’re not entering Ixetpeji through the main entrance on the highway, there may be other access fees – say, you’re riding up or down via La Mesita (100 pesos) or La Reina/Huayapam (50 pesos). See the post linked below for route ideas.

Some favourite trail combos

Listed below are some of my favourites, with an emphasis on flowier trails that are suited to hardtails rather than full-on enduro rigs, as discussed above!

Tierra Negra, Ola Hawaiana, New Trail (rhs), Cabeza de Vaca, and Murcielaga

This is a good little warm up to get a feel for the trails here. Tierra Negra is one of the mellower trails in the parque, Ola Haiwana is a classic, and Cabeza de Vaca/Murcielaga are fast and flowy ways to get back down to the centro ecoturistico.

Mirador Pelado Chiquito Sunrise Loop with Dragoncito too

This is our favourite loop to do before the comedor opens at 9am! Allow for about an hour to get up to the Mirador Pelado Chiquito, as it involves a hike-a-bike that the end. We love to haul up some coffee-making apparatus, or a thermos, as it’s a great spot for ‘Coffee Outside’. On the way back down, you can lace in all kinds of options. In the track below, we chose Dragoncito, but nearby Carbonara would work well too, especially if you’re not planning to ride it as part of another loop. The descent back to the centro ecotoristo is super fun too, and really flowy, incorporating some trails that have just been built.

Puma, Jabali, Carbonera, and Raices

Puma may well be my personal favourite, though I do find it more demanding than the other equally-graded trails in the area. The loop starts and ends in the Centro Ecoturistico, dropping down via Raices, which is a fun, rooty little number when it’s dry.

Ixtepeji and Cruz de la Peña Backcountry Loop

This loop gets you away from the main trail network and more into the loamy backcountry. It involves a couple of stiff hike-a-bikes and descents are steep, but again, it’s all suited to a hardtail with a dropper post.

There are plenty of other trails you could work in on your way back to the centro – in this case, the gpx track includes Habali and Carbonara. Note that the final flurry, Doblederama, is a bit of a handful on a hardtail, so re-route if that doesn’t sound like your cup of tea!

Enjoy it out there! Any questions, fire away!